My Interests

Yogurt is part of our daily eating routine and it is even mandatory for some people. The benefits associated with this simple food are many, so we tend to include it in our shop list as often as possible. However, as with many products available on the shelves of stores and supermarkets, a lot of additives and less healthy substances that are needed to keep the yogurt edible for a longer period of time are included in its composition.

The basic yogurt recipe is, nevertheless, much simpler and it doesn’t include all the ingredients you see written on the product’s label in supermarkets. If you want to make a basic yogurt at home, you only need fat milk (or cream if you prefer it more creamy), live bacteria cultures, yogurt (about half a cup), a pot large enough to prepare it in and a yogurt maker.

The preparation stages are few and simple. Only the fermentation process is tricky, as the yogurt needs warm and constant temperature and has to stay covered for a few hours to achieve an optimal fermentation process. To ensure that the incubation is progressing well, you must assure good temperature conditions for it. For this to happen, you can store the yogurt in a warm place where you are able to maintain the same temperature overnight. As it is unlikely that the temperature remains constant, it is recommended that you use a yogurt maker. This utensil will ensure a great environment for the composition to incubate, and will also let you know how much time has passed since you placed it inside the maker.

What you must do first is heat the milk in a pot until it forms bubbles around the edges. Once this happens, you take the milk away from the stove and you wait for it to cool a bit. When it’s slightly warm, you take a couple of spoons of milk and you mix it with the live cultures yogurt, after which you blend this with the rest of the milk. This is when the yogurt maker comes into the picture. You store the composition into the yogurt maker’s jars and then you set it according to the instructions. Most yogurts will take a minimum of 6 hours to be ready, although it is preferable to leave it there overnight. In the morning it will be perfect for your breakfast. Before you consume it, you can place it to cool in the fridge for an hour or two.

Remember to keep a cup of your first batch of yogurt as a culture for your next round.

Sump pumps are used to draw collected and usually stagnant water from the sumps to a place away from your basement, in order to protect your basement from damage. While buying a sump pump, people often get confused for selecting between a pedestal sump pump and a submersible sump pump.

Different people give different advice on this topic making it even more difficult to make a decision. However, in my opinion, pedestal sump pumps are indeed a better option. Pedestal sump pumps are designed to sit above the water level. They are installed with a sensor or floating switch on board that activates automatically on detecting the certain rise in water level. Since the motor in pedestal sump pump, does not contact water, it is less likely to be damaged and even if it is somehow damaged, then it won’t require any tearing of the floor to rectify the problem.

But just like everybody else, I don’t want to flood your mind with my viewpoint and that is why I have gathered here a quick comparison of pedestal sump pumps over other sump pumps. So have a look and evaluate :

Cost – Pedestal sump pumps are cheaper than other sump pumps especially when compared to submersible pumps. But that doesn’t make it compromise on performance and durability.

Accessing – Since pedestal sump pumps are not deeply installed, they are easily accessible. The convenience in access makes it easy to take care of the pump from time to time.

Maintenance – Being easily accessible these are easy to maintain. Moreover they require very low cost maintenance compared to other pumps.

Durability – Since their motor is not submerged in water, it is less likely to become defective and hence is durable. Pedestal sump pumps last 2 to 5 times longer that submersible pumps.

Repair – Since they are durable, they rarely require repairing. Being inexpensive, the repair (if needed) is very cheap and easy.

Safety – Pedestal sump pumps have a motor which is not submerged in water making it safer to use compared to submersible pumps which is more likely to create a short-circuit. Click here to read more about the difference between a pedestal sump pump and submersible one.

The only disadvantage of a submersible sump pump is that it is a bit noisier than others and a little less powerful, but they are indeed a reliable choice from an overall standpoint. So, if you are thinking of purchasing a pedestal sump pump, then go ahead with confidence because you will not regret buying one.

The most frequently used tool, the Drill Press, is like boon for all the woodworkers. It is just not a hole-digger, but so much more than that. It can serve you making dowels, it can become your spindle sander, or a mortiser. But if you are already familiar with these uses of the drill press, then you must read this article, because here we have grouped some really awesome and quick tips about using a drill press, that you never knew!

So here we go:

1) Are you just fed up of all those jammed bits and ruptures they cause? Well then just clear your flute and try using some bit lubricant next time and you’ll see the difference.

2) While drilling a round stock, use semi circular cradle instead of a v-neck block. It will provide consistent support and avoid blow-outs.

3) To find the exact centre of any work-piece, place one face against a fence and dig a dot on it, then rotate it end to end and again dig a dot. If the two dots do not line up, then the work-piece still needs repositioning. To find the exact centre, just move the fence to a distance equal to half of the total distance between the dots.

4) To drill a perfectly centered hole in a sphere, first drill a counter-bore on a scrap board, using the frostner or spade bit, that is almost half the diameter of the sphere. Then keep the sphere on the counter-bore and get it drilled. More information on how to handle the sphere can be found on this website.

5) To drill evenly distanced multiple holes, you can use a Flip stop. Flip one stop if it is an individual hole spacing and two if you need more distances in between.

6) You can use angled ramp for drilling evenly angular holes. These ramps are easily available in the market.

7) Did you know that you can sand curves without producing dust? Just take a drum sander and a sanding table, and make a hole on the tabletop, that is a quarter inch larger than the drum, to get the drum projected over it. Now drill two to one-fourth inches side holes to fix up a dust hose.

So you see?? How these small and easy tricks can do so much more help on the same work !

Do use these tips next time and see the magic, and don’t forget to leave comments!

If you’re trying to acquire an electric broom that is not only efficient, but also easy-to-use and handle, this is an excellent product that you can find for sale on the internet. It is highly functional, due to the fact that it comes with two speed levels that you can adjust according to the surface you are using it on. Hard floors are easily cleaned at the first speed level, but you may obtain better results on bulky fabrics and carpets using the second power level. Personally, for rugs and less fluffy textures I use the basic level, and I don’t think I need more than that to achieve the best possible result.

The main reason for which I bought this product is its charger. Most cordless products like this one will take 7-8 hours to charge, and give you 20-25 minutes of running time, which I consider insufficient. Moreover, if you use the broom at its highest capacity, the running time will be reduced to half. The Shark is a good stick vacuum for hardwood floors and it takes only 4 hours to recharge and offers plenty of running time on both speed settings.

Another thing that I appreciate at this product is the garbage recipient. It is easy to empty and quite spacious, so you won’t be forced to empty it often. Due to its placement on the handle of the broom, it won’t become a nuisance during cleaning. In addition, the product uses the cyclonic technology that keeps dust and debris away from the filter preventing it from clogging. As such, it will work at its maximum capacity always and will not lose its power in time.
It is quite surprising what this small and light product can do with pet hair. Though you won’t give it credit with pet hair embedded in your carpet, this broom can lift it easily due to its motorized brush that was especially designed for this type of task.

When it comes to maneuverability, the product can be easily steered in any direction, as it is fitted with a swivel head. Even on fluffy carpets, you can move the product back and forth effortless due to its two wheels placed at the back.

As a last consideration, you may find the price of this broom a bit higher than that of other products in its category, but, once you get to use it, you’ll see it is worth every penny.